Instant Pot Polenta Recipe

Published
September 25th 2022
Last updated March 20th 2024
This recipe, developed through the collective effort of at least six experts, underwent meticulous research and testing for over three months. Learn more about our process in the art and science behind our recipes.
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Front View of Instant Pot Polenta
Closed Up Shot of Instant Pot Polenta
Top View of Instant Pot Polenta

Most people think polenta is complicated to make. However, polenta is pretty easy to make, especially if you make it in an Instant Pot. Best of all, you only have to stir the Instant Pot Polenta once, seal the pot and let it cook. To make the polenta more flavorful, we cooked it in low sodium vegetable broth, then stirred it in vegan butter, nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor, and vegan shredded cheddar cheese. Finally, to complete this dish, we cooked sliced button mushrooms in vegetable broth, then sautéed them in olive oil, garlic, and shallots before placing them on top of the perfectly cooked polenta. And there you have it, the ultimate vegan comfort food! 
 

What is the ratio of instant polenta to water?

The ratio for cooking polenta is 1 cup of polenta to 4 cups of water. However, since the polenta is being cooked in the instant pot, the balance is 5 cups of water to 1 cup of polenta. 
 

Is instant polenta the same as polenta?

Instant pot polenta is not the same as regular polenta. Instant pot polenta cooks in a few minutes. In contrast, traditional polenta may take 30-40 minutes to cook. In addition, instant polenta is not as flavorful as regular polenta. 
 

Do you need to soak polenta before cooking?

Wet polenta is not necessary. However, soaking the polenta does reduce the cooking time. In addition, drinking the polenta helps rehydrate it, making it cook faster. Nevertheless, whether you choose to soak polenta is up to you. 
 

Why does my polenta stick to the pan?

The polenta will stick to the pan if it is not stirred, so stir your polenta every 4-5 minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 
 

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Author: Sarah Leadon
Rate
Average: 5 (3 votes)
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
27 mins
Total Time
37 mins
Serves
4 persons

Ingredients

Polenta
  • 1 cup Polenta
     

  • 5 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth 
     

  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
     

  • 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
     

  • 2 tablespoons Unsalted Vegan Butter 

     

  • 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
     

  • 1/4 cup shredded Vegan Cheddar Cheese
     

Sauteed Mushrooms
  • 1 cup Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth 
     

  • 8 ounces Button Mushrooms, sliced
     

  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
     

  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
     

  • 2 Shallots, minced
     

  • 2 tablespoons Parsley, chopped

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Instructions

Polenta

Place the polenta, low-sodium vegetable broth, salt, black pepper, and vegan butter into the Instant Pot and stir to combine. 
 

Place first 5 ingredients to instant pot

Put the lid onto the Instant Pot, turn the valve to seal, and close. Press the porridge function and pressure-cook the polenta for 20 minutes, or press manual mode and set it to pressure-cook for 20 minutes. 
 

Turn on porridge settings to 20 minutes

Let the Instant Pot naturally release for 15 minutes. Set the valve to venting, then remove the lid from the Instant Pot. 

Set the valve into venting

Stir the polenta well.  Add the nutritional yeast and vegan cheddar cheese, and stir until smooth. 

Mixing polenta with the nutritional yeast and cheese

Transfer the Instant Pot Polenta to a serving platter, and spread it into an even layer. Set it aside. 

Putting Polenta into serving platter
Sauteed Mushrooms

Place the low-sodium vegetable broth and button mushrooms into the Instant Pot. 
 

Prepare mushroom into the instant pot

Put the lid onto the Instant Pot, lock it, and set the valve to seal. Next, press the pressure-cook or manual setting and cook it for 6 minutes.

Pressure cook the mushroom

Let the pressure release from the Instant Pot naturally for 10 minutes, then turn to venting. Open the Instant Pot and drain the mushrooms in a colander, and set them aside. 

Draining the mushroom

Select the sauté setting. Add the olive oil, sauté the garlic and shallots for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds. 

Sautéing the mushroom with garlic & shallots

Remove the plastic wrap from the Instant Pot Polenta and add the sautéed mushrooms on top of it. Garnish the Instant Pot Polenta with parsley before serving. 

Garnishing and Serving Polenta
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Keywords
instant pot polenta, creamy, vegan, how to cook, mushroom, homemade, recipe

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